The invention is disclosed in the context of a method for treating wastewater from industrial processes, which wastewater contains, for example, organic material classified under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), with the objective of sufficiently neutralizing harmful constituents so that the treated effluent can be safely discharged into, for example, publicly owned treatment works (POTW). However, it is believed to be useful in other applications as well. The described method provides an effective way to dewater and concentrate organic and inorganic contaminants. The described method produces a wastewater stream that is substantially free or organic and inorganic contaminants and thus suitable for discharge into a municipal POTW without adverse effects on the municipal treatment processes. The solid waste generated from the described method represents a significant reduction of overall waste volume.
A number of methods and apparatus have been proposed for the treatment of effluent streams. Among them are the methods and apparatus illustrated and described in the following listed U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,836,461; 3,912,625; 4,125,465; 4,198,299; 4,200,695; 4,303,533; 4,310,424; 4,609,469; 4,340,487; 4,770,788; 5,288,737; 5,385,646; 5,423,981; 5,641,407; 5,451,324; 5,641,407; 5,451,324; 5,830,364; 5,948,275; 6,245,121; 6,254,779; 6,270,677; 6,280,630; 6,440,307; 6,471,874; 6,573,336; 6,635,182; 6,733,662; US2003/0160002; US2003/0164331; 6,793,823; 6,797,183; US2004/0026317; and, US2004/0050796. Also of interest are the disclosures of the following listed U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,725,779; 5,733,462; 5,738,794; 5,885,032; 5,889,097; 5,985,992; 6,013,708; 6,040,376; and, 6,221,956. The disclosures of all of the above-noted references are hereby incorporated herein by reference. This listing is not intended to be a representation that a complete search of all relevant art has been made, or that no more pertinent art than that listed exists, or that the listed art is material to patentability. Nor should any such representation be inferred.